Why Do...

oysters make pearls?

Pearl oysters live on sandy bottom tropical seas. The filter the water to attract food. Any foreign matter (bits of sand or parasites) that invade their bodies can cause irritation. As a defense mechanism, oysters will coat a grain of sand with nacre, or mother-of-pearl, a silvery calcium carbonate substance that the oyster usually exudes to line its shell. After several years of coating, pearls are formed. The pigments in the nacre will determine the color of the pearls.

In the early 1900s, the Japanese learned how to grow pearls, which created a boom in the industry because naturally-occurring pearls are rare. It takes about a ton of oysters to find one good, natural pearl. By having their shells carefully opened and small bits of shell inserted as "seeds," oysters can be stimulated to produce pearls in three years. Using different shaped "seeds," creates different shaped pearls. The exact Japanese techniques are closely guarded secrets.

Resource: “The Book of Totally Useless Information" by Don Voorhees

1 Little Sprouts. 10am. Ages 0-5. $5/member child, $7 non-member child, 1 free entry for carertaker. Columbus Botanical Garden; 706327-8400

1 Harry Potter Night. 6:30pm. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-2432782

1 Summer Swing Concert & Back to School Bash. 7pm. Municipal Park, Opelika; 334-705-5136

3 Painting ‘Rocks.' Families. 10:30am. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782

4 Food Truck Friday. 5pm-Midnight. Downtown Opelika; facebook.com

9 MAMA B.E.A.R.S. Breastfeeding Support Meeting (Part 2).

12:30-1:30pm. Columbus Pediatric Assoc; 706-221-4602

10 Budding Naturalists. 10am. 1st-5th grade. Topic: Pollinators. $5/member child, $7 non-member child. Columbus Botanical Garden; 706-327-8400

10 Farmers Market. 3-6pm. Ag Heritage Park, Auburn; 334752-0849

11 Left Handers’ Day. Ages 5-12yrs. 4pm. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813

12 Princess for a Day. 9amNoon. $15-$25. Columbus Trade Center; eventbright.com

12 Middle GA STEM City Expo. 9am-2pm. Free. Museum of Aviation; Robins Airforce Base; 478-826-6870

16 MAMA B.E.A.R.S. Breastfeeding Support Meeting. 5:307pm. Columbus Pediatric Assoc; 706-221-4602

19 Pollinator Palooza - a bee, bird and butterfly-themed educational event with tours, census and crafts for all. Columbus Botanical Garden. 9-12pm. Free for members, $10 adults, $5 4-17, 0-3 free.

19 Great GA Pollinator Count. Oxbow Meadows; 706-507-8550

23 MAMA B.E.A.R.S. Breast feeding Support Meeting (Part 2). 12:30-1:30pm. Columbus Pediatric Assoc; 706-221-4602

26 Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse in Concert. 7:30pm. The motion picture film will be accompanied by a live orchestra, band, and turntables with a scratch DJ playing music from the score and soundtrack. $41-$51. RiverCenter; 706-256-3612

26 Young Eagles Flight Day. 8:30-11:30am. Weather permitting. RSVP. Ages 8-17. Flightways Columbus; 706-615-6964 or https://chapters.eaa.org/eaa677/ young-eagles

26 Ride & Seek: A Bike Safety Adventure. 8:30-11am. (Ages K-8) $10. Chewacla State Park, Auburn; 334-501-2930

27 Columbus Toy & Comic Book Show. 11am-4pm. $6. Coca-Cola Space Science Center; 706649-1477

Weekly Events

MONDAY

Simple Steps Storytime: Babies & Toddlers (Ages 0-36mo.) 10am; Preschoolers (Ages 3-5yrs.) 11am. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813

TUESDAY

O Growsf Farmers Market. 3-6pm. 1103 Glenn St, Opelika; 334-7052215

WEDNESDAY

Preschool Story Hour. 10am. PCRC Library, Phenix City; 334-197-1139

Simple Steps Storytime. 3-5 yrs. at 10am; 0-36 mon. at 11:15am. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782

Discovery Hub. Ages 3-5yrs. 11am. Columbus Public Library; 706-2432813

THURSDAY

Toddler Tales. 10am. Barnes & Noble, Columbus; 706-653-7880

Simple Steps Storytime: Family. Ages 0-5yrs. 10am. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813

Sight Words Support. Families. 3-5pm. 30-minute 1-on-1 practice. Mildred L. Terry Library; 706-243-2782

FRIDAY

Simple Steps Storytime: Rhythm & Rhyme. Ages 0-5yrs. 10am. Columbus Library; 706-243-2813

SATURDAY

Market Days on Broadway. 9amNoon. Uptown Columbus; uptowncolumbusga.com

Toddler Time. 10am-Noon. $10. Ages 5 and under. Launch Trampoline Park; 706-221-8680

Eye Spy Scavenger Hunt. 9am4pm. F. D. Roosevelt State Park; 706-663-4858

Please call ahead to confirm dates, times and age-appropriateness, in case changes were made after the info was obtained.